Reinforced hoses are well known in industry for use in transporting fluids such as pressurized brake fluids or air conditioning fluids. Known hoses may include a polymeric inner core layer and one or more reinforcing layers formed from strands of fiber or wire material that are braided over the core layer. Some of these known hoses, for example, may include two or three reinforcing layers. Known hoses also include one or more intermediate hose layers formed over the core hose layer. Known hoses, moreover, include a polymeric cover or outer layer that defines the exterior of a hose.
Known hoses may have layers of reinforcing material applied in a 2-over, 2-under braid pattern i.e., with strands that are successively passed over and under pairs of oppositely wound strands. Hoses of this type may meet certain performance criteria (e.g., volumetric expansion, flexibility, dynamic life, etc.) for particular applications, although there remains room for improvement, for example, to optimize some of these performance criteria.